The present invention relates to a method of effecting communication in a network, to a communication system making use of the method for communication, to a program for the communication system, and to a recording medium on which the program for the communication system is recorded and which is capable of being read by a computer.
In recent years, while servicing of a network infrastructure and circulation of PC/mobile terminals have prevailed the number of people making use of a communication system on a network has been increasing. Existing communication systems include mail, mailing list, bulletin board, chat, and teleconference, and such systems are utilized to generate various communities with networks as a medium, which constitute sources of various activities.
Among these activities, a technique for eliminating a struggle against participation in a communication in a network in a community has become important. The struggle against participation in a communication in a community on a network includes:
(1) The problem of saying too much, so that it is difficult to read messages well.
(2) The thread of a conversation (thread of a plurality of subjects) is complex and difficult to understand (“Networking Community” by Kenichi Ikeda, 1997 Publishing Department of Tokyo University).
As a measure for solving the above-mentioned problems, a bulletin board system and a discussion managing method described in, for example, JP-A-9-231040 (referred to below as prior example 1). In this approach to the above-mentioned problems, a speaker selects and gives an attribute, such as assent, opposition, supplement, alternative proposal, or the like, to his message, thus hierarchically displaying a referenced relationship of articles to make the pro and con of discussions through e-mails easy.
Meanwhile, in the well known KJ method, it is proposed to use a plurality of cards to perform arrangement and analysis of information, and an idea support tool based on the KJ method has been realized. We have Investigated and studied an accumulation type communication system (page 156 to 157, proceedings of the 18th conference of Nippon Perception Scientific Association, referred to below as prior example 2), with the use of a metaphor composed of cards and boards constituting a base therefor. In this system, a board forming a base for editing, sharing and accumulation of information and cards each representative of one item of information are used, such that an attendee in a community can describe information, which he wants to relate, on a card, and sticks the card in an optional position on the board through a network.
With the prior example 1, it is possible to clearly state the relationship between a particular theme and a contributed article and the relationship between contributed articles, but it is hard to clearly state the relationship between a plurality of themes and a contributed article, the n to n relationships between a plurality of contributed articles, and the course of things.
Meanwhile, with the prior example 2, the problem in the prior example 1 can be solved by using a board, which shows prerequisite information concerning a communication, cards, and link lines among the cards and between a card/board; however, but only showing all the relevance among complex cards on the board and between card/board makes it difficult for a user to easily understand the circumstances of a communication and to search and read contents of comments, about which he is concerned. Also, with the prior example 2, accumulation of every card is possible, and so arrangement and analysis of contents of a communication are facilitated; however, it cannot be said that information required for the arrangement and analysis of the contents of a communication can be fully made use of, because information in the background of the board is not made an object of information. In a communication in an optional community on a network, since a variety of members participate in the communication at any time, it can be said that it is a great task to display the contents and progress of the communication in an understandable manner.
Also, in both the prior examples 1 and 2, the function of supporting a communication is constant at the beginning and the end, irrespective of the process of the communication. While the function of allowing communication as freely as possible in, for example, an initial stage of a communication is demanded; however, the function required in the course of a communication is varied such that the function of supporting an aggregation of discussions man advanced stage of a communication is demanded. The prior examples 1 and 2 cannot provide the function of supporting a communication in a stepwise manner according to the object and progress of the communication, and whether a communication can progress well depends upon the operation on the side of a manager. Since the operation in a field of a communication in a community on a network involves a great load, it can be said that it is an important task to provide a function of causing smooth progress of a communication to support a manager in the field of communication.